This invention relates to the art of fluent material handling and more particularly to a device for filling bottles in a high speed bottling line.
Beverage distribution and manufacturing has become increasingly automated and concentrated. Beer, soft drinks, spring water and other beverages are currently produced in large quantities and placed into glass bottles which have been cleaned and inspected on high speed automated bottling lines. After the bottles have been automatically filled with the appropriate amount of beverage, they are automatically capped, packaged and prepared for shipment.
The present application describes a new device for use in the filling operations on these lines.
Many fluids can be filled into a bottle by simply bringing the top of an empty bottle into sealed contact with a stationary filling port and introducing the fluid into the bottle through the port. No moving parts are required at the port and precise centering of the bottle with respect to the port is not required. Easily removable frustoconically faced sealing rings have been in long use to provide seals at these ports. These sealing rings are of a simple design as their function is straightforward and easily accomplished.
Certain beverages, notably beer, are most advantageously filled into a bottle by introducing an elongated filling tube into the bottle to an appreciable depth and introducing the beverage into the bottle through this tube. This operation requires that the bottles be precisely centered underneath the filling assembly before the lowering of the tube and a seal provided between the bottle top and the filling assembly. The centering of a bottle with respect to the filling assembly and sealing the bottle filling assembly junction is a much more sophisticated and complex operation than the sealing operation needed at a sealing port.
In the past, filling assemblies or heads have been comprised of a metallic filling tube pressed into an upper adapter which provides support and connections to the tube. Slidably supported on the filling tube is a metallic sealing and centering guide or bell. The centering guide normally rests on the lower end of the filling tube prior to engagement with a bottle to be filled. The lower surface of the centering guide is flared outwardly and downwardly into a bell-like shape and interacts with the nose shaped lower end of the filling tube to provide the centering action necessary for proper engagement of the filling assembly with a bottle. When a bottle enters the filling area, its top comes under a portion of the centering guide. As the centering guide is lowered, its bell-like lower surface and the surface of the lower end of the filling tube moves the bottle top to be coaxial with the vertical axis of the filling tube. The filling tube is then inserted into the bottle until the centering guide is in pressure contact with the upper adapter thereby pressing the centering guide into pressure engagement with the bottle top. A rubber like annular sealing ring is provided in the upper interior portion of the centering guide lower surface to provide a seal at the bottle top. The bottle is in sealed, aligned engagement with the filling head and filling can proceed. At the end of the filling operation, the filling assembly or head is lifted upwardly, disengaging the entire assembly from the bottle which then proceeds down the bottling line.
Significant difficulties have been experienced in bottling lines using the above technique at the point of filling. The metallic centering guide can crack, break or chip bottles in its initial encounter or during the centering operation. This can result in the head being contaminated with broken glass which may be introduced into the next bottle on the line. Glass is also embedded into the seal in the upper portion of the centering guide lower surface which can be introduced into the next bottle or can interfere with proper sealing action. Consequently, extensive and detailed inspection for glass particles must be made by the bottler.
Also, the centering guide and seal are fabricated from two diverse materials having a seam or mating line between them at a position very close to the desired position for bottle tops. The seam or mating line is an ideal area for the growth of mold, bacteria and other organic contaminants which can then be transferred to the bottle top, adversely affecting quality.
Additionally, the sealing ring in the upper interior of the centering guide is difficult to remove from the centering guide. The entire metallic centering guide must normally be removed to remove this sealing ring. Because the centering guide rests on the lower extremity of the filling tube during normal operations, the bore through the center of the centering guide must be smaller in diameter than the outside diameter of the bottom extremity of the filling tube. Complete disassembly of the filling head is therefore required for removal or maintenance of the sealing ring requiring substantial downtime for the filling machine. Consequently, the sealing ring often remains in the centering guide even though it has deteriorated.